I would like to take a closer look at what is spirituality and how it’s intertwined into everyday life. Recently I was talking to many people who cringe and have nearly allergic reaction to the word spirituality and I wondered why. As if it’s too painful to talk or even think about it? It’s as if spirituality is a concept so far from real life that it’s not even worth discussing? I understand that most of the people have negative connotation with this word and link it with religion- this subject itself is so broad that it requires at least a master thesis … I’m not tempted as I’ve already written one and that’s enough for this life time. Let’s look at spirituality in non-religious way then… I’ll start with the definition:

Spirituality can refer to an ultimate reality or transcendent dimension of the world; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his or her being, or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live’’. Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual’s inner life; such practices often lead to an experience of connectedness with a larger reality: a more comprehensive self; other individuals or the human community; nature or the cosmos; or the divine realm. Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life. It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world.(Source: Wikipedia)

In my dictionary spirituality simply means all that is connected with true/inner self (spirit) and the exploration of it. That is who I truly am and how I discover myself plus how I connect with others, the universe and the life itself.

Don’t you think that is quite important and useful to find out who you really are? Isn’t it great then to accept yourself and become your own friend? Isn’t it then why we are here – to grow and expand our consciousness and learn how to connect with people and life on deeper level? Well, regardless of what your answers are, you’re still a spiritual being! It’s not possible for you not to be one!

Have you ever seen a body of someone who just passed away and got a strong feeling that this is not this person anymore? That something essential is gone? I think you know what I’m talking about… Less morbid examples: have you looked someone deeply in the eyes and felt that special connection? Have you ever loved someone so deeply that you feel you’re one person? Have you ever experienced nature in such a way that you’re melting with it, not being able to tell yourself from the rest of the scenery? You don’t have to be a mystic. Those experiences of spirit are available to all of us.

I’ve heard great metaphor to illustrate why spirituality is so important. It goes something like that:

If you use 01 system to picture life, with spirituality being 1 and the other aspects of life being 0’s, f.e. work, study, relationships, finance, technology, etc. what happens when you place them all before spirituality? You have 0000000000000000000000000001. The value of it is still 1, isn’t it?

Now when you reverse the order what we get is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. See the difference? The value is huge in comparison to the first one.

PERSPECTIVE

That’s what spirituality effectively does to one’s life – if you’re open to it. It takes you to such a view point, trough expansion of your consciousness, that you are experiencing life and all that happens in it in a totally new way. That’s the beauty of it… spirituality simplifies, clarifies, enriches and deepens the experience we call life.

I imagine spirituality as steps or an elevator that takes me higher and higher. If you ever been in Paris you probably went to see The Eiffel Tower. So imagine walking up the stairs to the first balcony. Ok, you’re there – the view is great but you still have an option to go higher. So you take more stairs and you finally arrive to the second platform. You see the same houses, churches etc. but it’s different in a way that you see it from higher level and your horizon has expanded so you can see more. Nice! Then you decide to take a lift to the top balcony – when you arrive you are blown away by the enormity and beauty of the view! Yes, that’s what spirituality has to offer – a better view. This translates to a better understanding, and this translates to a deeper, more joyous experience of the adventure we know as life.

I enjoy the view from the top of The Eiffel Tower and I know it’s not the end of the journey as my consciousness is still expanding. Are you enjoying your view?

With love and blessings

Magdalena

Photo credit: ohotos